Chapter 7

The attack came just as Austin said it would. It was late in the day when the daily business issues were finalized and filed away. The kitchen was ablaze with food and drink, and an Elf lord was helping modify the menu for his people. It was supposed to be a typical night.

As Tyler was setting up the Guard, the gates exploded inward. Twenty men and women in odd colored fatigues rushed them. Tyler's instinct kicked in immediately and he summoned a mini tornado to keep them at bay.

"Line up!" he ordered.

There was no argument from the forty men and women who had been hired to defend the palace. Andrew and Terren stepped up beside Tyler. Andrew's eyes glowed brightly then the enemy's guns came flying at them. Tyler froze them then cast them aside.

"Archers, aim for the shoulders. Do not kill them," Tyler commanded.

"Tyler!" Jess called as he came around the corner. "Spare ten to send to the Queen! The Elves will make up the deficit!"

"Andrew, take the back ten and get to the Queen." Tyler was relieved when the Hydro did as he was asked. "Jess, get the Elves into formation."

Jess didn't argue. Tyler was in Master Guardian mode and defying him was not a smart idea. With a look to Kasta, he had the Elves lined up. They stood confidently shoulder to shoulder with their supernatural counterparts and waited for further instruction.

The attacking force was strong. They were trained by the US military. They found out because when Jess went to defend himself, he slashed a guy's shoulder to disarm him. In the process, he noticed the tattoo. He immediately relayed the information to Cole. If anyone could figure out what special force they were under, it would be the Pyro.

"Jess, tighten the circle around the building," Tyler ordered.

The older man shifted back and the party of Elves went with him. Tyler's army moved to fill in the gaps the eleven couldn't fill. Kasta stood at Jess's side, wielding a staff with precision and power. She aimed for arms and legs, taking great care to break them without puncturing arteries.

The sky suddenly went dark. All over the palace grounds golden or silver orbs filled the darkness. The guard could see in the dark just fine. Upon a silent command, Tyler's forces surged forward. Jess held his group back as reserves.

"My Lord," an Elf whispered. "What should we do?"

"Pay attention," Kasta replied. "See how these people work together for the common good. This is not just about protecting their Queen. It's about protecting their livelihood."

"She's right," Jess confirmed. "If the Court falls, it might as well be World War III. I know everyone says that but in this case, it's true. You don't understand the power we wield."

Despite the initial shock of the attack, there was no combating a team as well oiled as the ones protecting this palace. They were efficient in the way they worked, and none of their attackers had died. They had made sure to keep them alive for questioning.

It took twenty minutes for everything to be wrapped up. Eyes glowed from every place as the Silver Guard cleaned up the damage and rounded up the attackers. Carson, the man responsible for the blackout, emerged from the shadows and began to help with the clean up. His movements were forced and painful to watch. As someone who could summon the darkness, it took a toll on his body when he released it. The only way for him to shake the effects was to walk around for a bit.

When Carson allowed the light to seep back into the area, Jess saw Tyler's guard had four different groups of people rounded up. The Master Guardian talked to his men, looking even more haggard. He was getting information from everyone, being very thorough so he didn't miss a thing.

"How is everything?" Carson asked as he passed Tyler with an armful of limbs. He dropped the woman he'd been carrying into Tyler's group.

Tyler laughed then shook his head. "They all said the same thing. They were hired by a human. We're still working on the name."

Jess frowned. "You suspect something?"

The other man looked back at his men. "I have a bad feeling. We know the Elves are involved and now a human or humans. But are they connected? It doesn't add up. How did this human find this group of mercenaries? And how did he or she know where we were?"

Jess sighed and rubbed his head. "We have a lot of questions to answer."

Tyler nodded absently. Jess could feel his mind whirling. He was making plans and figuring out how to execute them. Jess turned to Kasta, ignoring the glow that came off her skin.

"Do you have four men you trust?" he asked.

She took a moment to think carefully. He didn't blame her. He was asking her to place her men in danger. He'd be thinking it over carefully as well.

"What are your plans for them?" she asked.

"I want them to guard my family: two for my sister and two for my niece and nephews. I want the best care for them."

Kasta turned her head one way. Two nodded. Turning her head to the other side, two more nodded. It took her some time before she looked at him again.

"Darien and Maxis will guard your sister. Lorien and Grey will guard the children. They will be at your disposal," she replied. Those men turned and walked into the palace to report for their duty.

Tyler sighed. "Well, that's good. I'm going to call Petey. I want him to help with security."

"Tyler!" The Elves readied themselves for another battle as Tyler and Jess turned towards the speaker.

A blond headed man and a red headed man came through the wreckage. Behind them were two other men. They were blond headed. They stopped long enough to say hello to Carson then kept moving.

"Hey, man," Tyler replied as he grabbed the older blond's forearm. "What are you doing here?"

"We heard of the attack and figured you'd need extra help. The Manchestors said they'd guard New York while we're here," the red head replied. His eyes shifted to Jess. "Hey, man. Did you know...?"

Turning a bright color of red, Jess waved his remark off. "Yes, I know. I'm working on it."

Kasta and the Elves shuffled in a confused manner. Never in their lives had they met people so in tuned with each other that they could speak with simple body language. This was a great age of people who could do many things and not even speak to each other when doing it.

She turned suddenly. Her arm brushed against Jess's as she did so. Both of them jerked back with a gasp then stared at each other. A murmur rushed through the Elves as the men shook their heads. They knew what was going on. The man and woman knew what was going on. But the Elves were left out of the loop.

Tyler waved a dismissive hand and turned to the others. "Rowan, I'm glad you're here. You can help the other Healers look for a cure for my sister."

The oldest blond frowned. "Her Majesty is sick?"

The younger man nodded. "Has been since she gave birth two months ago."

"I'll see what I can do." Without having to ask where the others were, Rowan turned and walked into the palace.

"What about us?" The other two blonds looked eager.

Tyler looked at the red head. "Petey, I need you with me. Carter, you're going to be our spy."

The red head snorted. "How did I know?"

Carter nodded emphatically as Tyler shook his head. "What do I need to do?"

"We'll get all of our Intel for you and decide what you need to look for." The young man nodded. Tyler looked up. "Paycen, I'm going to need you to stick close to Aiden."

"Well, that I knew," the red head replied. He crossed his arms as if to demand more information.

"Good. I know Austin's a little peeved that you're here but he'll get over it. Things have settled down somewhat in New York. This takes precedence. We'll double your pay for this."

Paycen waved his hand in the air. "Don't worry about it. I don't need the money. I'm doing this for my family."

That simple statement said more than the body language he used along with it. They were more than friends here. Since the founding of the Silver Court, they had decided they would all make decisions together for the betterment of their people. They would discuss things together, and when one of them was in trouble, they'd all try to help if possible.

To the Elves, it looked as if they had evolved way faster than their normal human counterparts. Whereas they were working together to make sure they survived, the humans around them were only concerned with themselves. They didn't take care of each other the way these people did.

"Let's go. We have a lot of work to do."

Jess watched as Tyler and his little crew walked past him. Cole would finish the clean up by having everyone arrested. Andy would have them arraigned in three days and it would all be done. But that didn't say anything about keeping their sister alive. If they didn't find anything in the next few days, he wasn't sure Aiden would make it.

He knew his sister had had a rough life starting at age eight. She had been through hell and high water, and when she finally got a second chance, someone was out to kill her. Whoever was doing this, he wanted to wring his or her neck. He would once they figured this little puzzle out.

Kasta watched Jess's face carefully. It was obvious he was thinking about ways to help his sister. If she died, he was going to plan his revenge. None of them could be stopped once they went on a rampage. When she had spotted the red head, she knew he held power. He was a coiled viper ready to attack. All they had to do was unleash him.

When Jess turned around, she could see all the emotions warring through him. This couldn't continue. She turned and nodded. The four men she had selected followed Tyler into the palace. The other five disappeared behind the palace to tell the king.

"Jess?" she questioned gently in case he would snap at her.

He looked up at her. "Yeah, I'm fine. We need to find the Healers and figure out what they know."

She caught his arm, wincing at the zing that went up her spine. "I understand, but I would like to see who my men are protecting."

Jess couldn't argue with her logic. He nodded quietly and led her into the palace.